Friday, September 16, 2016

A few years ago, they were the forgotten story of the immigration debate — the families of victims of crimes perpetrated by illegal immigrants who were ignored by the press and left begging for meetings with government officials.

Donald Trump has changed all that, giving the mothers and fathers an unparalleled platform to make their case from the podium of the Republican National Convention and again last month as they joined him on stage at the end of his major immigration policy speech in Arizona.

On Saturday, Mr. Trump will go even further, addressing the victims’ first-ever conference hosted by the Remembrance Project. The families will meet in Texas to share their stories and plot their next steps as they gain prominence.

“We are very honored for Donald Trump to have accepted our invitation to meet with stolen lives families and to speak at the Remembrance Luncheon. The families that have been ignored for so long are finally being heard,” said Maria Espinoza, national director of the project.

The families have labored for years to have their voices heard, pleading with reporters for coverage and arguing that they are proof that illegal immigration isn’t a victimless crime. If the government had been doing its job, they say, their spouses and children would still be alive.